


The Apartment

by lesbianmxgicians (kaianieves)



Category: The Magicians (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, I Love You, Moving In Together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-05 21:04:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20279812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaianieves/pseuds/lesbianmxgicians
Summary: “Jules.”On one hand, it was strange having someone other than Quentin call her that. On the other, it was different from when Q called her by that name. It felt… romantic. It filled her heart up with something indescribably warm, or sometimes brought her back down to Earth. There wasn’t really a reason why. It was just different.Josh stood above her, smile on his face. “Breakfast in bed for the lucky lady,” he smiled.





	The Apartment

**Author's Note:**

  * For [everytuesday](https://archiveofourown.org/users/everytuesday/gifts).

> Oh gosh, happy birthday Dez! I'm sorry this is about three hours EST late, but I do hope that you enjoy.

“Julia,” Josh said. Julia laid in bed, buried in fuzzy blankets. They’d gone out last night; ever since they had gotten together, Julia had began to partake in Josh’s mild partying habits. “Jules.” He poked her shoulder. 

On one hand, it was strange having someone other than Quentin call her that. On the other, it was different from when Q called her by that name. It felt… romantic. It filled her heart up with something indescribably warm, or sometimes brought her back down to Earth. There wasn’t really a reason why. It was just different.

“Yeah?” she mumbled, barely audible. Rolling over felt like a task and a half. Her head was pounding, alarm bells going off that she should definitely go back to half staring at the TV hosting Saturday morning cartoons.

Josh stood above her, smile on his face. An apron covered his chest. It took a moment for Julia to realize that  _ only  _ an apron covered his chest. There was a tray in his hands. Slowly, she sat up. “What’s all of this?”

“Breakfast in bed for the lucky lady,” he smiled. It was soft, eyes sympathetic, even though Julia knew deep down he probably hadn’t had a party hangover this bad in years; he was a seasoned expert, living it up with the best of them- literally.

“Where are your clothes?”

“The A/C’s busted again.” Julia groaned. “Don’t worry about it. I already called the company; they’re sending someone out tomorrow.”

Her hair stuck to her forehead, matted and sweaty. She felt gross, and she most definitely looked gross. Then she sniffed. “Oh, god. I smell like a YMCA weight room.”

Josh leaned in as he set the wooden tray of breakfast on the blankets- eggs sunny side up, two well done maple syrup sausages and french toast cut into the shape of that strange cat cookie cutter Josh had in the cutlery drawer. Her lips were chapped and dry as he gave her a quick kiss.

“And yet, I still love you,” he said.

It had been weird when he’d first said it, two months ago. Like the world around Julia had ground to a halt, a plastic bag wrapped around her heart as someone’s fist started to squeeze. He had said it twice since then. Julia still had yet to say it back. 

Not because she didn’t feel the same way- god no. But she had told the boys, the men she had dated before that she had loved them. This felt different. It felt easy, sugary sweet and nothing like the brain-busting, ultra concentrated romance she had felt for boyfriends prior. There was no palpable need to be romantic. This wasn’t love from puree. Everything just flowed, like warm sunlight. Saying it back felt like it would be drawing a curtain of expectation over everything.

Instead, Julia hummed. “Thank you,” she mumbled.

“So, I was thinking,” he said as he disappeared through the bedroom door. “Maybe you should… bring some more stuff over.”

“What, like a toothbrush?” Julia asked. She took a bite of a sausage.

“Well, maybe,” Josh said. His voice echoed from the bathroom. “Or maybe, some clothes. I have an extra drawer you could use.”

“A drawer, huh?"  


Josh re-appeared wearing a tank top and boxers, apron nowhere in sight. He leaned against the door frame. “Rent’s not cheap, obviously, ‘cause it’s New York. And I’m in need of a room mate, so…”

“You want me to move in with you,” Julia said. There was no point beating around the bush.

“Yes, Julia. I want you to move in with me.”

She had been waiting for this moment. Kind of. Holding her breath, a little bit. Some of it had been punched out of her when he said what he said that first time, and then a little more when she’d met his friends outside of their little group, and a little more when she’d discovered that Josh and Penny were “bros who brunched.”

Her body felt like it would keel over like an empty inflatable toy as Josh looked at her, waiting for an answer.

“Yes.”

“Yes?” Josh repeated. It seemed like he was unsure; like he had heard her wrong, replacing Julia’s actual words with what he wanted to hear.

“Yes,” Julia said again. She moved her breakfast from her lap onto the bed beside her, grabbing the stainless steel fork beside the plate and cutting off a piece of the cat-shaped french toast with its side. She pressed the tongs into the bread before approaching him at the door. “Yes, Josh Hoberman. I will move in with you.” She held the syrupy toast in front of his mouth tauntingly before biting it. “But you’ve got to get that A/C fixed.”

* * *

Date night, five days later. Josh had invited Margo and Penny over to try a new pasta recipe of his: lasagna with white sauce, asparagus and spinach.

“The place looks different,” Penny said as soon as he stepped in. Josh and Julia looked at each other. Margo glanced between the two of them, brows furrowed. “Shopping spree at Bed, Bath and Beyond?”

“Something like that,” Josh said. “We, uh, actually have some news, later.” Julia didn’t know why he looked like he was under interrogation. It was his best friend and his best friend’s girlfriend, not her father- not even Quentin. There wasn’t anyone to impress, or any need for an explanation. They were going to tell their friends and celebrate.

“I bought some wine,” Julia said quickly. “Josh? Can you help me in the kitchen?” She walked away without waiting for an answer.

“Uh, yeah- yeah sure,” he said, following her to the kitchen.

The oven was still on at low heat, keeping the lasagna warm. Julia leaned against the counter. “What’s going on?” she asked.

“Nothing’s going on. Is there something going on?”

“Josh, you look like you’re about to have a heart attack,” Julia said. There was a thin layer of sweat on his forehead already. “What’s wrong? It’s just Penny, and Margo.”

“I just really,  _ really  _ don’t want to screw this up. I mean, they’re our friends but I know you’re a lot closer to everyone else than I maybe am and I don’t want to embarrass you or-” Josh was babbling. Julia held his shoulders, looking up at him.

“Josh. You have nothing to worry about, okay? I love you.” He stared at her, eyes darting back and forth between hers as Julia’s words settled. They had just slipped out. She waited for something to change, for the atmosphere to suddenly feel wrong and gloomy; for that sunlight to disappear. But it didn’t. Nothing felt wrong. In fact, Julia felt better. It was like she’d had a weight removed from her chest, and now her heart was floating there in the space between them, right next to Josh’s.

“I love you too,” he said, blinking. “Yeah, okay. Let’s do this.”

Julia laughed. “You make it sound like  _ Mission: Impossible. _ ” She turned briefly, reaching for the bright red oven mitts that hung on rooster shaped hooks off the wall- Josh’s design choices. She handed the mitts to him. “Let’s do this.”

The table was set for four. Penny and Margo sat on the same side, Julia across from them. Red wine filled three of the four glasses; Josh was just about finishing up in the kitchen. He came striding into the dining room, approaching the table with hurried confidence. “Dinner is served,” he mumbled, setting down the glass casserole dish. The lasagna was pasty with Alfredo sauce. Mozzarella cheese bubbled on top.

Josh left again, returning with a bowl of tossed salad in one hand and another bottle of wine in the other: white, Pinot Gris. The bowl sat next to the lasagna dish, tongs inside. Penny cut himself a piece of lasagna as Josh poured himself a glass of wine. Margo took a sip of her own.

“So, you said you had news?” she asked curiously. Penny handed her the knife.

“Yeah. Pretty big news, actually,” Julia said. That caught Margo’s attention, as she turned the knife away from the food and onto Josh.

“I swear to everything unholy, if you got her pregnant Hoberman,” she began. Penny put a hand over the top of the knife, lowering it.

“I’m not pregnant, Margo,” Julia said. Josh took a long sip of his wine. “Actually… we’re moving in together.”

There was silence at the table for a long moment. Penny stood, which made Josh stand instinctively. He rounded the table, pulling Josh into a hug and patting him on the back. “Congrats, man,” Penny said, pulling away. “That’s awesome.”

Seeing his friend’s reaction, Josh relaxed. “Yeah, thanks. Taking the next step and everything,” he said awkwardly. The guys sat back down as Margo smiled across the table at the both of them.

“I knew I recognized that inspirational canvas art. So, when did this happen?” Margo asked. Sometimes it felt like Julia had never left high school when she was around.

“Just last week. I packed up a few things- nobody was home. I’ve still got a few things to get straight, but I’m hoping to be in here by the end of the month.” She looked around the apartment, something soft in her eyes. A small smile creeped up on Josh’s face, watching her. This was going to be their home, he thought. He liked the way that sounded.  _ Home. With Jules. _

“To you two, then,” Margo said, raising her glass in a toast. The others complied, glasses clinking as the wine sloshed between them.

“To us.”


End file.
